Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

AB InBev fails in bid to overturn New Delhi ban

AN Indian court dismissed Anheuser-Busch InBev's appeal against a New Delhi city sales ban on Thursday (19), a blow to the world's largest brewer in one of its key market.

Authorities in New Delhi barred AB InBev in July from selling its beer for three years over allegations of evading state taxes, which the company has denied.


The Delhi city government's Commissioner of Excise later reduced the ban to 18 months.

Authorities had found that SABMiller, bought by AB InBev in 2016, used duplicate barcodes on beer bottles supplied to city retailers, allowing it to pay lower levies.

AB InBev, whose beers include Budweiser and Hoegaarden, is the second biggest player in India's $7 billion market, with a 17.5 per cent share, IWSR Drinks Market Analysis estimates.

The Delhi ban is seen as a major setback for AB InBev, which is battling a separate Indian antitrust probe concerning alleged beer price fixing by SABMiller and other companies.

Justice Navin Chawla turned down requests to quash or put the ban on hold, saying AB InBev should lodge another appeal with senior New Delhi city officials.

"I am sending you back to the second appellate (authority)," Chawla told AB InBev's lawyers in a packed Delhi courtroom.

During hearings in October and November, AB InBev's lawyer argued the city ban must be revoked as the company was not given adequate notice before it was imposed.

While summarising his decision, Justice Chawla said the principle of natural justice had been violated when the Delhi government passed its first ban order. He did not elaborate and the order is not yet public.

AB InBev was "encouraged" by the judge's remarks which were a positive step towards resolving the inquiry, a spokesman said.

"We are committed to operating with integrity and ethics and we continue to be excited about our business in India," the AB InBev spokesman added.

However, Ramesh Singh, lead counsel for the Delhi government, said the judge dismissed AB InBev's case because the company had already started an appeals process and had been adequately heard by the Commissioner of Excise.

(Reuters)

More For You

modi-trump-getty
Modi shakes hands with Trump before a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 25, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images)

US trade officials in India for talks as tariff deadline nears

US OFFICIALS arrived in India on Tuesday for trade discussions ahead of the implementation of tariffs announced by president Donald Trump.

The meetings come as the US moves forward with reciprocal tariff measures affecting multiple countries, including India.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-trump-getty
Modi shakes hands with Trump before a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 25, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images)

India open to tariff cuts on £17.7 bn worth of US imports: Report

INDIA is considering cutting tariffs on more than half of US imports valued at £17.7 billion as part of ongoing trade negotiations, two government sources told Reuters.

The move, which would be the most significant tariff reduction in years, is aimed at countering reciprocal tariffs.

Keep ReadingShow less
tata-steel-green

Artist’s impression of Tata Steel’s state-of-the-art Electric Arc Furnace facility being built in Port Talbot. (Image credit: Tata Steel)

Tata Steel

Tata Steel hires local firms for Port Talbot project, creating 300 jobs

TATA STEEL has appointed three South Wales contractors to support its £1.25 billion investment in green steelmaking at Port Talbot. The contracts will create over 300 skilled jobs in the local supply chain.

Bridgend-based Darlow Lloyd & Sons will oversee excavation, recycling, infrastructure, and drainage work for the transition to Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steelmaking.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Survey Reveals More Britons Reducing Everyday Spending

About 43 per cent of consumers said they were cutting back on everyday purchases, while more than a third reported increasing their savings as a precaution. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Survey shows more Britons cutting back on everyday expenses

CONSUMERS in the UK are reducing spending on everyday items as confidence in the economy declines ahead of chancellor Rachel Reeves’s spring statement, according to a KPMG survey.

The survey, conducted among 3,000 UK consumers, found that 58 per cent believed the economy was worsening in the three months to February, up 15 percentage points from the previous quarter, The Guardian reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
23andMe

Many users trusted 23andMe with some of their most sensitive personal information

Getty Images

DNA data of millions at risk as 23andMe declares bankruptcy

The recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by genetic testing company 23andMe has raised serious concerns about the privacy and security of the DNA data of millions of users. Founded in 2006, 23andMe has long been a leader in consumer genetic testing, offering individuals insights into their predisposition to various diseases and the possibility of connecting with unknown relatives. However, with the company now seeking buyers in bankruptcy proceedings, the sale of this genetic data has become a source of alarm for privacy advocates and experts.

Many users trusted 23andMe with some of their most sensitive personal information, their DNA. However, as the company faces financial struggles, privacy experts warn that the future handling of this data may be far less secure. Tazin Kahn, CEO of the nonprofit Cyber Collective, which promotes privacy and cybersecurity for marginalised groups, expressed deep concern about the potential consequences. “Folks have absolutely no say in where their data is going to go,” she said. “How can we be so sure that the downstream impact of whoever purchases this data will not be catastrophic?”

Keep ReadingShow less